rankness

rankness
Ⅰ.
rank [1] ► NOUN 1) a position within a fixed hierarchy, especially that of the armed forces. 2) high social standing. 3) a single line of soldiers or police officers drawn up abreast. 4) (the ranks) (in the armed forces) those who are not commissioned officers. 5) (ranks) the people belonging to or constituting a group or class: the ranks of the unemployed. 6) Chess each of the eight rows of eight squares running from side to side across a chessboard. Compare with FILE(Cf. ↑filing).
► VERB 1) give (someone or something) a rank within a grading system. 2) hold a specified rank. 3) US take precedence over (someone) in respect to rank. 4) arrange in a row or rows.
● break rank (or ranks) — Cf. ↑break ranks
● close ranks — Cf. ↑close ranks
● pull rank — Cf. ↑pull rank
● rank and file — Cf. ↑rank and file
ORIGIN Old French ranc; related to RING(Cf. ↑ringless).
Ⅱ.
rank [2] ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of vegetation) growing too thickly. 2) having a foul smell. 3) complete and utter: a rank amateur.
DERIVATIVES rankly adverb rankness noun.
ORIGIN Old English, «proud, rebellious, sturdy», also «fully grown».

English terms dictionary. 2015.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rankness — Rank ness, n. [AS. rancness pride.] The condition or quality of being rank. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rankness — noun 1. the property of producing abundantly and sustaining vigorous and luxuriant growth he praised the richness of the soil weeds lovely in their rankness • Syn: ↑richness, ↑prolificacy, ↑fertility • Derivationally related forms: ↑fert …   Useful english dictionary

  • rankness — noun see rank I …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • rankness — See rankly. * * * …   Universalium

  • rankness — noun The property of being rank, of having a repulsive odor, of being stinky, foul or malodorous …   Wiktionary

  • rankness — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun The quality or state of being flagrant: atro ciousness, atrocity, egregiousness, enormity, flagrance, flagrancy, flagrantness, glaringness, grossness, outrageousness. See GOOD …   English dictionary for students

  • rankness — ræŋknɪs n. disgustingness, offensiveness; fruitfulness, fertileness, quality of growing vigorously …   English contemporary dictionary

  • rankness — n. 1. Luxuriance, excess, extravagance. 2. Rancidness, rancidity, strong smell …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • rankness — rank·ness …   English syllables

  • fertility — noun 1. the ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year • Syn: ↑birthrate, ↑birth rate, ↑fertility rate, ↑natality • Hypernyms: ↑rate 2. the state of being fertile; capable of producing… …   Useful english dictionary

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